Comfort Enough
by Angel Leviathan
Summary: PGSM. This feeling had haunted her before…and she could suddenly place it in the past life she had fought so hard to escape.


Title: Comfort Enough

Author: Angel Leviathan

Spoilers: Anything, everything.

Summary: Dreams of the past haunt the dying Minako and the stubborn Rei.

Disclaimer: PGSM, Sailor Moon, concept, characters, don't belong to me.

Notes: Okay, I, like many other people,think they were implying Rei/Minako throughout PGSM. The final battle on the Moon is different from that of the manga because, obviously, this version _was_ different. Serenity's scream destroyed the Moon and Earth. Anyway, Kings/Senshi battles are mixed up too. I know there was a shot of the Kings in the ruins of the palace, which might change things, but this is fanfic after all. Translation of act scenes from Shingetsu.

* * *

"Bye."

Rei felt a shockwave rip through her as the door to the crown kareoke room fell shut and Minako vanished. She tilted her head and continued to stare at the door, a feeling of dread flooding her senses. This feeling had haunted her before…and she could suddenly place it in the past life she had fought so hard to escape.

* * *

"There will be a battle. I fear we cannot win," Venus stated, not looking at her.

Mars frowned, "You always said there was nothing we couldn't overcome. That we'd always defend the Princess…" she stopped, eyes widening as she realised exactly what her friend meant, "…until the end…"

"…Precisely," the blonde haired Senshi stood and stepped away, "We will fight until the end," she began to walk away.

Mars was on her feet in an instant, running after her, "What do you mean? You can't just say something like that and walk away. If we know an attack is going to happen then we can stop it."

Venus shook her head, "You have always seen more than me, if only in the flames. Look inside your heart and tell me we will always win. That we can preserve our Kingdom forever?"

"I-" she took a step back in shock, "You speak as if we're already dead."

"We are far from dead, Mars…" she turned away again, "and you know for Senshi like ourselves, death is just the beginning."

Mars ran in front of her to stop her escaping, "…I…" she stopped and stared at the ground, "I don't want you to die!" she stated forcefully, suddenly glaring back at her, defiantly.

Venus smiled slightly and drew her into a hug, "I'll never die as long as you are by my side," she drew back and kissed her forehead before she moved off again.

Mars could do nothing but stare after her in shock, numb.

* * *

"That's true, but she hasn't come back from the hospital. She went to the pre-surgery exam but…"

"What…?" Rei stared. Why was something out of place? She had never felt such unease, even when reading the fire in the temple. Something was missing. She didn't understand. Why would Minako be taking so long at the hospital? She knew how worried they all were; she would have come straight back to them as soon as she was finished. Right?

"Maybe she doesn't want the surgery," Makoto blinked.

"That's not possible," Rei answered with certainty. She took a seat at the table and folded her arms in front of her, resting her head on them. Maybe if she slept, time would pass more swiftly and she wouldn't spend every second wondering where her stubborn leader had got to.

* * *

Mars ran through the palace, desperately trying to hold back her tears. She was a soldier, she was strong, tears had no place in battle. She should be able to ignore the fact that one of her closest friends had just died before her very eyes. Of course. She shook her head and quickened her pace, hearing the sounds of slaughter all around her, the cries of the people of the Moon as they died in vain. There were only four of them! Four women to protect everyone! To protect their Princess! Serenity at least, she knew, was safe, so far. If it truly had been Endymion who had brought his people against her own, Mars would make sure he would pay for such betrayal.

"The soldier of the flame…" a male voice rang out behind her, "…I would have expected tears from Mercury…not from you…"

Mars skidded to a halt, heels screeching on the marble floor, "You bastard," she hissed, "How can you do this? What have we ever done to you? You claim to have loved her, yet you spare her no tears?"

"I spare no tears for a soldier who fights against us," Nephrite's cold gaze met her own.

"You bastard…" she repeated, "You will pay for dishonouring her memory!"

"Better act fast then," he replied, "Before we find your Princess."

Flames shot from her palms as she rushed him, ducking as he struck out against her and span into a kick that connected with his shoulder. Fire span around her body as she attacked again, determined to destroy him, those who would harm her own.

* * *

She had entered the hospital with a smile; something she had never done during her course of treatments. But then, she had always been there to delay the inevitable, not take a chance and finally hope to live. Minako lay back on the hospital bed as she felt them take her wrist and insert a needle, hooking her up to an IV. She knew instantly when the sedative flooded her system, as the room began to swim slightly around her. Fighting the sensation, she knew, was useless. Minako allowed her mind to wander, letting go completely as her eyes fell shut and she waited for the staff to perform their tests on her. …In a few weeks she might live…be able to live a full life, not the fainting half-life she had been enduring, as both Venus and Minako. A smile curved her lips for a moment; to live, and maybe to be loved, wasn't such a frightening prospect after all. She drifted and let the past and present merge…

* * *

"Venus Love Me Chain!" the solider of love and beauty defended herself and side-stepped, batting away an attack from one of the four Kings of Earth, "Where is your Prince?" she demanded.

"You know no more than I do," Zoicite replied, sword drawn before him, "He is weak. He shall not be ruled by the Moon Kingdom!"

"We made no such advance on you!"

"So what is the reason for your Princess bewitching him?"

Venus narrowed her eyes, "You know as well as I do that we both_ tried to prevent such an attachment!" _

"That may be true," he lunged for her, "But a new power, stronger than that of your Princess, shall arise and brush aside all who oppose us!"

"Crescent Beam!" golden energy struck his chest, having no effect, "You must stop!" she cried out, "There is no reason for us to fight!"

"I beg to differ," the King's sword sliced the red bow from her hair as she belatedly evaded another attack, "Only two of you left now. Soon we shall rule your kingdom; the Earth shall no longer be sneered upon by the Moon!"

Venus was forced to retreat, backing away into the main chamber of the palace, "You will never find our Princess."

He raised an eyebrow, "Master Endymion shall lead us to her…albeit unwillingly…the famous Senshi of the Moon Kingdom…how pathetic you are now…"

"Rolling Heart Vibration!" she struck out at him again, allowing a smile to grace her features as the energy struck him full on, making him stumble.

"I remember a time when you would have said your love was for me alone…" he hissed, "Before you turned to your own."

"I remember a time when you would never have dreamt of this…" Venus adopted an attack stance, "and her love is pure. Unlike yours."

"You could not control your Princess!"

"You could not control your Prince!" she shot back, glad to be moving on from personal insults. About to attack again, she whirled round as she heard the echo of an all too familiar voice crying out in pain, "…Mars…" her voice was a hushed whisper. Suddenly the battle paled into insignificance as she ran deeper into the palace, to the next room, to find the body of one of the Kings, whom she recognised to be Nephrite, flames licking his form that graced the floor. Venus stopped dead as she took in the scene; her best friend and only love on her knees, hands on the hilt of a sword she tried to remove from her chest. Tears pouring from her eyes, Mars held out a pleading hand in desperation.

"…V…" her eyes fell shut and she would have slumped to the floor, had Venus not caught her.

Mars shook, shock taking over, her face pale and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

She closed her eyes and braced herself, clenching her jaw. Venus removed the sword in one swift motion, suppressing a cry of her own as a howl of agony ripped from the dying Mars.

The dark haired Senshi of the flame opened her eyes, gasping for air.

"…Mars…Mars…no!" Venus whispered, "No, no, please…don't leave me…" she had to lean closer to her, holding her tightly as her blood stained her uniform, to hear her words.

"…V…love…never…die…" Mars uttered, form falling limp as she exhaled for the last time.

"…No…" a strangled sob escaped her.

"A touching scene…" the silver haired King's voice jolted her back to reality.

Venus was forced to abandon the body of her friend as she stood, eyes closed, and suddenly in perfect control, "A shame nobody ever cared for you as I cared for her."

"You-" he didn't get to finish his sentence as she raised her right hand silently, a shot of amber energy striking him head on. Zoicite fell to his knees and glared up at her across the room.

Venus collapsed, energy spent, "…Nobody wins here…" she raised her head as an ear piercing scream rang throughout the palace, the voice she recognised to be that of her beloved Princess. "…Serenity…"_ agony ran through her as pure, snow white energy ripped through the palace, and she knew no more._

* * *

Not quite able to fight her way back to full alertness, Minako drifted, certain it was the sedatives doing their work. The blaze of pain that shot through her skull barely bothered her as she blacked out. Mars trusted her again…Mars would always be there…maybe Mars could love her again…

The trapped angel flew free of her cage as her love denied her passing, hurling flames about her to protect her heart and stop her acknowledging what she couldn't bear to realise. The Senshi of Mars cried out her name again and again, sobbing as she fell to her knees.

"…You know for Senshi like ourselves, death is just the beginning..."

…Somehow her words just weren't comfort enough…

**Fin**


End file.
